Folding coop



Apr. 17, 1923. 1,451,972

a. w VANDEVENDER FOLDING COOP Filed May 1921 s Sheets-Sheet 1 in 001M012 M'Zzess learyewmiakrenr gwmnfor Patented Apr. 17, 1923.

UNETED STATES lhdiihtf TENT @Ftlfilt'l.

GEORGE W. VANDEVENDER, 0F MILL CREEK, WEST VIRGINIA, ASSIGNOR OF ONE- HALF TO ADAM S. V'ANDEVENDER, OFMINGO, W'ES'I' VIRGINIA.

FOLDING COOP.

Application filed May 2,

To all whom it may concern:

1 Be it known that I, GEORGE W. VannavnNDER, a citizen of the United. States, residing at Mill Creek, in the county of Bandolph, State of \Vest Virginia, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Folding Coops; and I do hereby declare the following to be a full, clear, and exact description of the invention, such as will enable others skilled in the art to which it appertains to make and use the same.

This invention relates to new and useful improvements in coops and particularly to.

folding coops.

One object of the invention is to provide a folding coop having novel and improved interlocking means between the sides and ends, by means of which said sides and ends will be maintained against inward folding movement when the cover or top member is removed.

Another object is to provide a coop of this character wherein the folding sides are formed with means which engage with the base or bottom to prevent outward movement and which means is used to hold bolts for maintaining the coop in folded position.

A. further object is to provide a coop of this character wherein the top has means for engagement with the sides and arranged for the reception of bolts for maintaining the top and other parts in set up position, said bolt receiving means of the top also serving to engage with the folded ends, to prevent loss of the top when the coop is folded.

Other objects and advantages will be apparent from the following description when taken in connection with the accompanying drawing.

In the drawing:

Figure 1 is a side elevation of the coop in set up position.

Figure 2 is an end view of the coop.

Figure 3 is a top plan view of the coop in set up position, one of the corners, at one end, being broken away to show the interlocking of the sides and ends, and the other end corner being broken away in a plane a short distance above the base.

Figure 4: is a top plan view of the coop in partly folded position, the ends being folded down onto the base, with the cover resting thereon, and with the sides in upstanding position.

1921. Serial No. 466,187.

Figure 5 is a top plan view of the coop in completely folded position.

Figure 6 is an end view of the coop in completely folded position.

Referring particularly to the accompanying drawings, there is shown a base which includes the longitudinal side bars 10. undercut, or rabbeted, at 11, to receive the ends of the transverse end bars 12, which are secured to said side bars, and the bottom board 13 secured to the lower faces of the side bars 10. inwardly of the end bars 12.

The sides 14, and the ends 15, of the coop, are preferably formed from heavy wire and include the frames 14: and 15, to which are secured, respectivelv. the vertical wires 14;. 15, and the longitudinal wires 14" and 15". Extending vertically between the top and bottom. wires of the frame 1 1, in parallel rclation to each vertical end wire, and in close proximity thereto, is a wire 16. The top wire of each of the end frames 15 has each of its ends extending a short distance beyond the end of the frame. as shown at 17, and is disposed between the upper ones of the vertical end wires of the frames 14 and the vertical wires 16. By this construction the sides 14 are prevented from movement inwardly toward folded position, while the ends 15 are prevented from any movement inwardly toward foldedposition.

The lower horizontal wire of each of the frames 14 is formed with the outwardly e:

tending loops 18, which rest on the upper faces of the bars 10, when the said'sidcs are in upright position, to prevent outward movement of the sides. These horizontal wires of the frames 1e are pivotally mounted on the bars 10 by means of the staples 19. Similarly, the lower horizontal wires of the end frames 15 are pivotally mounted on the end bars 12, by means of the staples 20, and each of the said wires is formed with outwardly extending loops 21, similar to the loops 18, and resting on the upper faces of the bars 12, to prevent outward pivotal movement of the ends 15. Theinterloclriug engagement of the sides and ends, effectively maintain the said sides and ends in vertical position, while the loops 18 and 21 prevent the disengagement of the sides and ends. The disengagement is accomplished by springing the ends of the sides 14 away from the ends of the ends 15, so that the projectionsl? will bedisplaced from between the ends wires of theframes and 'the vertical wires 16. The ends 15 may then be folded down onto the board 13, between the bars 10,in which position the loops 21 will stand vertically, as seen in the views showing the folded position of the coop. As seen in the completely folded view, Figure 5, the loops 18, of the sides 14, stand vertically, the purpose of which will appear later herein.

The top or cover of the ,coop includes the tortuously bent Wl1Q22, which vhas the longitudinal sidewires23. Each of these wires 23 is formed with the depending loops 241, which, when the top is in place on-the upper edges of the sides Hand ends 15, are disposed outwardly of the said sides, and

Y inwardly of the upper ends of-the vertical wires 16, for'the reception of the long bolts 25, which bolts extend across the coop.

Each bolt 25' has a head on one end which bears against the adjacent loop, and a nut 26 on its other end, which bears against the loop adjacent thereto, so that the sides are drawn firmly inwardly into close contact with the ends, to maintain the pro jections 17 in proper engaged position. Transverse wires 27 are secured across the tortuous wire, of the top, and terminate at the side wires 23. An access opening 28 is formed in the center of the top, and isvclosed across the tortuous wire, from one of the side wires 23, to the adjacent side of the opening 28, and a short distance into said opening. The door has an eye 30 formed in its side wire 31 for, the reception of the projecting end of the wire 27. while the projecting end 29 of the said side wire 31 of the door, rests on the adjacent wire 27 ofthe opening. The other end of the wire 31 is looped around the adjacent wire 27 and under the next outer wire 27, as seen' at 32, to exert an upward pressure on the door to cause the eye 30 to bind on the projectlng end of the short wire 27, with A short wire. 27 extends the result that the door will be firmly held in closed position. This door 'is pivotally connected to the other end wire of the opening 28, as clearly seen in the plan View, Figure 3. V

Attention is particularly called to the fact that when the ends 15 are folded down bnto-the base, and the top placed thereon,

the opposite ends of certain of the bight portions of the tortuous wire 22 embrace the then upstanding loops 21 of the ends 15 of the coop, with-the result that-the said topis effectively preventedfrom sliding longitudinally. In this position thetop lies between the side andend bars 10 and 12 of the base. After the top is properly ablethereon, each end ofeach" side wall having vertical parallel bars, aremovable coverhaving loops ad acent its corners dependingbelow the upper portions of the side walls toqreceive fastening devicestherethrough, and longitudinally extending bars on the upper ends of the end walls having their opposite ends projecting beyond the ends of the walls and'resiliently held between the npper ends of the parallel bars of the side walls.

In testimony whereof, I aflix my signature, in the presence of two witnesses.

GEORGE W. VANDEVENDER.

Witnesses CARL? FEATHER, E. G. 1 SMITH. j 

